Environmental lighting, particularly outdoor lighting, is well known in commercial or public settings such as parks, government buildings, schools and shopping centers. Such lighting is also popular in residential applications, both to enhance the appearance and safety of the outdoor area and for security, to illuminate dark areas around a building or in a yard which may provide hiding places and unobserved entry points for intruders.
One area that can be particularly problematic in both indoor and outdoor settings is stairs, steps and other abrupt changes in surface height, where proper illumination can be the difference between safe passage and injury. Stairs that are insufficiently lit or that are subject to shadows exhibit a safety and security concern, especially outdoors where the light oftentimes cannot be properly directed towards its desired area of use. For example, if the light source is located behind a person as they approach the steps, the person's shadow may make the steps difficult to see. On the other hand, light fixtures physically mounted to the stairs may also impose a danger because stray light or glare emitted from the fixtures may temporarily adversely affect a person's vision. In addition, protruding light fixtures may be subject to inadvertent damage and may even pose a risk of tripping. A common approach to dealing with this challenge is to install recessed fixtures in walls adjacent to the stairs. Examples of such fixtures are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,684 and No. 6,779,907. However, when there are no adjacent walls, or in existing construction where creating the necessary recesses involves significant cutting and drilling into masonry or stucco walls, such fixtures may not be practical.
Another approach to lighting stairs, illustrated in FIG. 1, involves suspending a small lamp enclosure 10 from the edge of a flat plate 8 that is sandwiched between each step riser 4 and the cap stone 6 or other tread surface on top of the riser so that the lamp enclosure is positioned beneath the overhang of the tread, i.e., the “nose” 12 of the stair. This arrangement illuminates both the step riser and the step immediately below so that the edge of each step is illuminated whether one is walking up or down the stairway. Lighting systems of this nature are particularly useful in environments where the lighting level is low, such as in theaters and the like, where it is preferable to have minimal illumination directed upward. For existing construction where the stair tread is already attached to the riser, the plate 8 can be narrow and elongated for attachment solely on the underside of the nose.
The lamp enclosure of step lights typically includes a protective lens that is directed outward or downward from the underside of the stair nose. A closed fixture is particularly appropriate for installations in an outdoor setting, to make the fixtures substantially water-tight and resistant to contaminants, but also provides the fixture with a clean, finished appearance. Maintenance of the fixtures includes cleaning of the lenses and replacement of damaged or burned-out bulbs. Many step lights have a pair of screws, one on either end of the elongated cover that includes the lens, which must be removed in order to access the lamp(s) and lamp socket(s). Obtaining access for removal of the cover can often be awkward, requiring the person performing the maintenance to kneel on a lower stair with their head level with the target fixture in order to locate the screws. Even if the screws are neatly countersunk into the outer surface of the cover face, the exposed screws can ultimately become unsightly after repeated removals since the heads can become scratched and rusty. Avoiding this problem and providing a continuous, aesthetically-pleasing surface involves concealing the screws, possibly on the sides of the fixture housing, however, access to such screws can be particularly difficult in narrow passages where the sides are not easily visible. The screws may also be located on the face of the lens where the screw is accessed from underneath the fixture in a position that cannot be seen and is difficult to access. The small screws can also be easily dropped when trying to remove or replace them.
In view of the foregoing, the need remains for a step light fixture that is attractive and effective as well as easy to install and service.